Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-10-08
MATTER OF MATING.
Some Excellent Advice to Young Men
and Maidens.

says Louisa M. Alcott in the
Toronto Globe, to see youths and
maidens pair Off like birds in the
spring-time. with all the pleasant ex-
element of bridal wells, wedding
bells and honeymoon trips, that it is
small wonder the ignorant and inno-
cent creatures take the plunge with
smiling faces and are awakened from
their dream by finding the water cold,
the tide strong and the rocks sharp
under the sunny, blue waves that
seemed ready to float them to the
Islands of the Blest.
Many Of us know the sad ending of
such seemingly happy matches, and
the thoughtful observer can but won
der why they are permitted by those
who should be the first to guard the
sons and daughters whom they love
against such a rash step, no matter
what the temptation may be. This
fact was deeply impressed upon me
some years ago by two weddings
which / witnessed one bright May
morning. Both were fashionable,
gay and splendid, the brides young
and lovely, the grooms handsome
men, one just of age, the
other evidently still sowing his
wild oats, and this wedding
was but another handful gaily
planted to bring a bitter harvest.
Troops of friends surrounded the hap
Ply pairs, and all that money, taste,
sunshine and good will could do to
give grace and beauty to the scene.
/ did not know either pair, and as
we went along the street gay with
the brilliant hustle of the departing
crowd, l said to the friend who had
invited me to enjoy the spectacle al
ways attractive to a woman:
"'Happy the bride the sun shines
on seems singularly appropriate to-
day, for these young people appear to
have all that is supposed to be needed
for a prosperous start on the journey
of life."
81 don't want to croak, like bird
of evil omen, but l predict that Meth
err of these marriages will turn out
WE'LL" answered my friend with q
sigh.
"Why not" 1 asked, curiously, as
/ watched a carriage-load of brides
maids drive by, looking like a nose
gay of snowdrops in their dainty
white costumes.
sin n case they are too young
Twenty-one and eighteen, and have
known each other but two months
What can such children guess of the
life before them, and how fit are they
for the responsibility they have blind
ly assumed? They are not suited t.
one another and will find it out toe
late, l fear. The older pair are in {
still sadder strait, for that innocen'
girl is sacrificed to crafty the ambi
ton of her parents and to calm thu
anxiety of his, by trying to save hin
from destruction. He has led a wilC
life since he was a boy, and must b
settled before it is too late, SO thi
pretty creature is given to him as
bride to virtue, and goes to her doom
like a lamb to the slaughter, Will,
the world looks on without open pro
test, friends congratulate, and tn
priest blesses this wicked sacrilege
All, well, Gods law cannot b.
broken without atonement, and tn
penalty will yet be paid! Only tn
heaviest suffering often falls upon tn
least guilty offender"
The wise old woman's prophec.
proved true, for when / met her
few years later and naturally recalled
the gay May morning, she told m
that the younger pair were divorces
after two years of wretchednesS. TIL
other case was sadder still, for tn
pretty bride was dead and the youn.
man was in an insane asylum. Bot
had found out all too late how cas-,
it was to take this step, how bite
the retribution for breaking the d!
vine law which makes marriage
sacrament, not a bargain, a %sacrific
nor a spectacle.
l never forgot the episode, an
have preached many a sermon to m.
young friends since with these wed
dings for my text and illustration.
Another and happier pair who's
story | love to tell, for years of beau
tiful welded life points the moralan'
proves it true, waited two years t
know one another thoroughly, AM
to be ready in all ways for the uniol
which binds for better or for worse
in this world and perhaps in tn